Good all round 26" tyre for commuting, towpaths, off ro

dazzawazza

My Giant Escape currently has 26x1.0" Spec All Condition Pro tyres on it, which are excellent for commuting. However, they're not really suitable for anything off road.
Whenever it's not raining or I have nothing much to carry I ride my Allez to work.
So I was thinking of changing the tyres on my Escape to make it more of a general purpose bike.
I work next to Richmond Park and most lunch times I ride a couple of laps on the road, but I've never tried any of the MTB trails.
Can anyone recommend a tyre about 1.5" - 1.9" wide that is fast and corners well on a city commute, but can also tackle off road trails quite well? Puncture protection is also important.
Thanks

thrope

I've got these on my commuting bike which I find great for the road and OK on trails and stuff...

http://www.google.co.uk/products?source=ig&hl=en&q=continental%20travel%20contact%20tyre&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wf

dazzawazza

Continental Travel Contacts look like a good tyre for the job, however the recommended pressure of 50psi seems a bit low for a commuting tyre??

Does anyone know of a similar tyre for comparison?

Ciaran500

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=cont ... en&show=dd

Currently using them, pump them up to 60psi and they have a low rolling resistance for commuting and let them down and they are surprisingly grippy for off road. Not as good as knobbly tyres and don't deal with mud but a good compromise.

baudman

I use Geax Evolutions, as do the local constabulary. They're a bit fat and heavy for some people, but I think they use them in Melbourne for the same reason as I - tram tracks. These will literally claw their way back out of tram tracks. Very tough - I don't even flinch at glass. (Although I do inspect and pick stuff out of them when I remember to grease my chain and do other things you're supposed to do every month or so...)

For me, they're a good mix of contact/slick, with chunky grip on the sides. They're great on gravel, rocky conditions or sandy - but hopeless in mud. The best 'compromise' tyre I've had.

http://www.bicycletires.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jomqmml4